By Mohamed KaiKai
( Arrangements are underway to repatriate the body of Sierra Leone’s main opposition party chairman, Alhaji Minkailu Mansaray, for burial in his home country, a senior party official said on Sunday.
Abdul Kargbo, the Minority Leader of Parliament, said in a post on Facebook that plans were being finalised to fly Mansaray’s remains from Dakar, where he died, to Sierra Leone.
Kargbo said he had accompanied the late chairman’s wife from the hospital to her residence in Dakar, adding that the body was currently being held in a mortuary.
He described Mansaray’s death as “a painful moment for the nation,” and said party members and supporters were seeking strength and comfort through prayers.
Mansaray served as the national chairman of the All People’s Congress (APC), Sierra Leone’s main opposition party. His death comes at a sensitive time in the country’s political landscape, as tensions between the ruling government and opposition groups have remained high following recent elections.
A long-time political figure within the APC, Mansaray was regarded as a key strategist and influential voice in the party’s leadership, helping to steer its activities both in opposition and during its time in government.
His passing is expected to trigger a period of mourning within the party and could prompt internal consultations over leadership succession as preparations continue for his burial in Sierra Leone.
